Lever actuated pivoted jaw wrench



7:, W. E. FUGH m- AL.

LEVER ACTUATED PIVOTED JAW WRENCH Filed July l9 3.945

QJ. Chompmune f? CLM/avm Ri Patented Feb. 7, 1950 2,496,308 LEVERACTUATED PIVOTED JAW WRENCH Walter E. Pugh and Ro y J. Champayne,Rockford, Ill.; said Champayne assigner to said Pugh Application July19, 1945, Serial No. 606,001 (Cl. 81--84) 9 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable wrenches and particularly to thosehaving a movable jaw actuated by swinging an operating lever toward andaway from a handle in which the xed jaw is supported.

The main object is to provide a wrench of the above character in whichthe operating lever is more easily operable than in prior wrenches.

A more detailed object is to provide a novelly arranged cano. andrfollower for effecting final clamping motion of the movable wrench jaw.

The invention also resides in the novel construction and arrangement ofthe cam in order to impart simplicity, durability, and ease of actuationto the wrench structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side View oi' a wrenchembodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the handle shown in section. l

Fig. 3 is a. section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The wrench shown for purposes of illustration includes an elongatedhandle I having one jaw 2 fixed thereto at one end and a second opposedjaw 3 pivotally supported on the handle for manual adjustment relativeto the xed jaw to accommodate different sizes of Work and also Yforclamping and -unclamping motion at a substantia'linechanical advantageproduced by swinging an operating lever i tward Iand away `from thehandle I. Herein, the handle is a channel of U- shaped cross sectionopen alongone' side 'and tapering longitudinally. The Xed jaw 2 isformed on a member 5 which i's disposed between the sides of thehandleat the head end and made rigid with the handle by rivets 6 yat oppositeends of the jaw. The toothed face of the jaw thus 'projects frcm theopen side of the channel.

The movable jaw 3 is formed on one end of a bell crank in the form of atriangular plate 1,

one arm of which projects in between the sides i of a handle I and ispivoted on a pin 8 disposed midway between the jaws `and spaced from theinner ends of the latter. A spring Iastretched between the handle I andthe bell` crank urges the latter in a direction to open the jaws of thewrench. The outwardly projecting arm i5 of the bell crank extends inbetween the ends of fiat strips 9 riveted together near their other endsto form a substantially straight link. One end ofthe latter has shortlongitudinal slots I0 there- 55 2 in receiving opposite ends of a pin II which projects through and is tast in the bell .crank 1. A slidinglost motion connection is thus provided between the link 9 and the outerarm of the bell crank l.

The other end of the link 9 is recessed or otherwise shaped to intertwith an adjustable abutment formed by the end l2 of a screw I3 threadingthrough the tubular end portion of the handle Isubstantiallylongitudinally of the latter. The position of the abutment I2 along thehandle may thus be varied by turning the knurled head I4 on theoutwardly projecting end of the screw.

The rear end of the bell crank arm l5 is rounded to form an arcuaterearwardly projecting surface i 6 received in a socket on the head I1 ofthe operating lever 4 which is thus swingable relative to the bell crank'I and the movable .l'aW 3 about an axis located on the center ofcurvature of the surface I6. To limit the outward swinging of the lever,a pin I9 projects through the head II with its opposite ends slidable inelongated Idepressions ZD disposed on the inner sides and extendingtransversely of the links 9.

A novelly arranged cam `and follower mechanism is provided for shiftingthe .bell crank arm I5 longitudinally of the handle so as to actuate themovable jaw 3 during outward and inward swinging of the ylever 4. In theembodiment shown, the cam is a surface 2l on the lever head II having a.gradual rise terminating in a slight depression 24 adjacent the handleproper. The follower for this cam is a roller 22 disposed between thelinks S and rotatable on a pin 23 connecting these links. The cam thusforms a means carried by the link 9 for wedging the bell crank arm I 5away from theroller and the link so as to extend at `a powerfulmechanical advantage the effective length of the connection between thehandle abutment I2 andthe movable jaw 3, lengthening and shortening ofthis connection being Ipermitted by the slot I 0. Y j

In the use of the wrench, the nut. bolt, pipe, or other part to beturned is placed between the jaws 2 and 3. and, with the lever Il swungoutwardy as shown in Fig. 2. the head I4 is screwed in until the jawsare nearly closed against opposite sides of the work. Now, by grippingthe handle and the operating lever in one hand, the lever is swunginwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 1 or until the work is grippedbythe jaws. In this motion, the rise of the cam 2E acting as aneffective Wedge is forced in between the bell crank surface I6 and theroller 22-so as to spread the two apart and force the bell crank arm I5and the pin ll along the slot lll to close the jaw 3 onto the work. Ifthe jaw is properly adjusted to suit the size of the workpiece, thedepression 24 in the cam surface will be presented to the roller 22thereby producing an overcenter acn tion whereupon the longitudinalcompression in the linkage tends to hold the lever Il inwardly in itsactuated position. Thus, the work remains clamped even though the handpressure on the lever 4 is removed.

Retraction of the jaw 3 is eflected by moving the lever t outwardly tothe position shown in Fig. 2. initial spacing of the jaws' to adapt thewrench for use on a workpiece of a diiierent size may be eiected byagain turning the adjusting screw either in or out depending on whetherthe next workpiece is smaller or larger.

We claim as our invention:

l. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jaw fixed on one end ofthe handle, an opposed second a bell crank carrying said second jaw andpivoted' onv one end of said handle, said bell crank having an armprojecting laterally o the handle and movable longitudinally thereof tomovesaid second jaw toward and away from said Fixed jaw, a linkextending longitudi nally and having one end pivoted at the other end ofsaid handle, the other end ci said link having a sliding pivotalconnection with said bell crank arm, a follower roller on said linkspaced from said connection, an4 operating lever pivot'm ed on saidbell' crank arm, and a cam surface on said lever engaging said followerrollerv and operable by swinging of the lever toward said handle towedge said roller and said arm apart and' thereby move the movable jawtoward said 2. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jawv iixed onone end of the handle, an opposed second jaw, a bell crank carrying saidsecond jaw and pivot'ed on one end of said handle, said bell crankhaving an arm projecting laterally of the handle and movablelongitudinally thereof to move said second jaw toward and away from saidfixed jaw,v a link extending longitudinally of and having one endpivoted at the other end oi said handle, the other end of said linkhaving a. sliding pivotal connection with said' bell crank arm, afollower roller on said link spaced from said connection, an elongatedoperating lever, arcuate surfaces on said bell crank arm and one end ofsaid lever forming a pivotal connection therebetween, and a cam surfaceon said,Y leverY adjacent: said pivotal ccnnecticn and operable during'swingingv of the lever toward said handle' to wedge said roller and bellcrank arm apart and thereby movey said jaws. toward each other.

3. A wrench comprising an' elongated handle, a jaw hired on one end ofthe handle, a second jaw pivoted on said' handle to svnng toward andaway from said fixed jaw, means at. the other end of said handleproviding an abutment adjustable longitudinally of the handle, a linkbearingv against said abutment at one end and havm 'mg a pin and slotconnection at the other end with said movable jaw at a point spaced fromthe jaw pivot, a follower roller on said link spaced from saidconnection, and an operating lever pivoted on said. movablev jawadjacent said pin and slot connection and having a cam surface engagingAsaid follower roller and operable by swinging of the lever toward saidhandle to wedge said roller andsaid movable jaw apart and thereby movethe movable jaw toward said iixed j aw.

4. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jaw Axed on one end of thehandle, a second jaw pivoted on said handle for movement toward and awayfrom said fixed jaw, an elongated link pivoted at one end on the otherend of said handie and having a sliding pivotal and connection at theother end with said movable jaw, an operating lever pivoted on saidmovable jaw adjacent said connection, and a cam and follower thereformounted on saidy link and lever and operable by swinging of the levertoward said handle to wedge said movable jaw along the link and towardsaid fixed jaw.

5. A wrench comprising an elongated handle having a jaw fixed thereto, abell crank pivoted on said handle and carrying a jaw movable toward andaway from the xed jaw, said bell crank having an arm projectinglaterally from the 'pivot thereof' and movablev longitudinally of thevhandle, a link movably mounted on and ex-` tending longitudinally ofsaid handle, means on 'ie end of said handle remote from said jawsengaging the end of said link and movable relative to the handle toadjust the link longitudinally relative to said handle, an operatinglever pivoted on the movable jaw near the other end of said link toswing laterally toward and away from the handle, and a cam surface and afollower mounted on said lever and link intermediate the ends of' thelint: and coacting during swinging of the lever relative to said handleto actuate said bell crank arm, said cam and follower moving with anovercenter action as the lever approaches thehandle so as to hold thejaws closed after the actuating force onl the lever is released.

6. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jaw fixed on one end ofthe handle, a bell crank pivotedon said handle and having an arm spacedfrom the bell crank pivot, said arm having an arcuate end surface facingtoward the opposide end of said handle, a jaw on said bell crank movabletoward and away from said iiXed jaw during lateral movement of said armin opposite directions, an elongated link extending along said handleand fulcrumed at one end on the other end of the handle, the other endportion of said link comprising spaced strips straddling said bell crankarm and pivotally and slidably connected to the arm beyond said arcuatesurface, an operating lever projecting between said strips vand havingan arcuate surface complementing and fitting around said first surfaceto form a pivotal connection between the arm and lever, a cross pinconnecting said strips at a point spaced from. said connection, andmeans journaled on said pin between said strips and acting on said leverto shiftr the, lever and said bell crank along said lingY and swingsaidmovable jaw toward the xed jaw when the lever is swung toward saidhandle.

7. A, wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jaw xed on one end of thehandle, a second jaw pivoted on said handle andV swingable toward andaway from the xed jaw during movement of a projection oi said movablejaw away from and toward the other end of the handle, an elongated linkextending along said handle and fulcrumed at one end of the other end ofthe handle, said link having two laterally spaced strips at the otherend straddling said projection, means providing a pivotal connectionbetwn the ends of said strips and said projection while permittingrelative sliding of the two in a direction lungi tudinally of the link,an operating lever disposed between said link strips in the plane ofsaid jaw projection and pivotally connected at one end to the latter,the other end of said lever being swingable laterally of said handle, across pin connecting said strips at a point spaced from said lever, andmeans journaled on said pin between said strips and acting on said leverto shift the lever and said jaw projection away from said other handleend and swing said movable jaw toward said fixed jaw when said lever isswung toward the handle.

8. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, a jaw fixed on one end ofthe handle, an elongated link extending along said handle and fulcrumedat one end on the other end of the handle, a second jaw pivoted on saidhandle for movement toward and away from said xed jaw and having asliding pivotal connection with the other end of said link, said movablejaw having an arcuate siuiace adjacent said connection and facing towardsaid other handle end, an elongated operating lever having at one end acomplemental arcuate surface intertting with the first arcuate surfaceso as to lie in the plane of said movable jaw, said arcuate surfacesforming a pivotal connection between said movable jaw and leverpermitting swinging oi' the free end of the lever toward and away fromthe handle, and means connecting said lever and link and operable byswinging of the lever toward said handle to shift the lever bodily alongsaid link in a direction to swing said movable jaw toward the fixed jaw.

9. A wrench comprising an elongated handle, opposed jaws being movabletoward and away from the other jaw, an elongated link extending alongsaid handle and fulcrumed at one end on the other end of said handle, apin and slot connection between said movable jaw and the other end ofthe link with the slot of such connection extending longitudinally ofthe link, an operating lever pivoted on said movable jaw adjacent saidconnection, and means connecting said lever and link and operable byswinging of said lever toward said handle to move said movable jawtoward said fixed jaw,

WALTER E. PUGH. ROY J CHAMPAYNE.

REFERENCEb CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 449,627 McNair Mar. 31, 18911,445,280 Jordan Feb. 13, 1923 2,206,251 Fischer July 2, 1940 2,259,216Small Oct. 14, 1941 2,280,005 Peterson Apr. 14, 1942

